Modern Retro Living Rooms

Balance retro cool with contemporary lines and create the ultimate vintage-inspired haven with our modern retro living room ideas.

Art deco fan living room chair, all white walls

Living Room

Art deco fan living room chair, all white walls

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

The reason why art deco furniture is still so popular, and that much modern furniture takes its lead from the styles of the 1930s, is that it manages to be grand while remaining elegant. Covering the fan shape statement chair in grey upholstery fabric will give this retro design a contemporary update.

Retro living room, contemporary L shaped sofa

Living Room

Retro living room, contemporary L shaped sofa

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

If executed well, the retro colour combination of orange and brown can look thoroughly modern. The long, lean L-shaped sofa sets a contemporary tone in this living room, accentuated by the Orla Kiely wallpaper, which hints at Midcentury design, with its bold pattern and vintage shades.

Complete the look with rich wooden floorboards for a highly polished finish.

Contemporary retro living room, luxe green sofa

Living Room

Contemporary retro living room, luxe green sofa

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

When thinking about colour schemes for rooms, it’s easy to focus on block colours, but introducing a forest green on a pale background is a clever way of injecting life into a room without overpowering it. Happily marrying rustic and contemporary décor, the luxe sofa adds a homely feel, and when paired with vintage frames showing retro wall art will be full of old school appeal.

Grey living room, typography trend

Living Room

Grey living room, typography trend

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

Everything about this room is beautifully muted – with the exception of thebright red stool. The letters on the vintage shelving unit follows suit in gold and natural wood, making typography a feature without letting it overwhelm the room.

Floral living room wallpaper, retro leather sofa

Living Room

Floral living room wallpaper, retro leather sofa

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

Country living rooms are about mixing floral accents with a bit of vintage furniture to give it a homely feel. Add a romantic touch with a bunch of vibrant pinch rooms and layer quilts and oversized cushions on the retro leather sofa for extra snugness.

Industrial style living room, retro anglepoise lamp

Living Room

Industrial style living room, retro anglepoise lamp

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

With a bit of planning, bridging the gap between contemporary and retro can create a colourful a cosy space – without losing any character. Mix and match statement exposed brick walls with traditional anglepoise floor lamps, contemporary sofas, colourful cushions, and a statement leather armchair for a homely twist on factory chic.

Inspiring Interiors: Living Room: Modern Retro

Living Room

Inspiring Interiors: Living Room: Modern Retro

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

Bold, vintage-style wallpaper is an easy, and relatively cheap, way to create a retro decor. To keep it contemporary, and to prevent the room from becoming a time capsule, hang it on just one feature wall and paint the other walls in a complimentary colour. Try Osborne and Little for a wide range of vintage style papers.

Photo by Taverne Agency

Inspiring Interiors: Living Room: Modern Retro

Living Room

Inspiring Interiors: Living Room: Modern Retro

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

A combination of Ercol furniture from the Sixties and vintage-inspired prints in bright, bold colours combine to create happy, hippie vibe in this living room. Textile designer Sarah-Jayne Guest has a range of similar fabrics which she uses to make cushions and upholster Ercol armchairs.

Photo by Red/ Chris Everard/Sarah Kaye

Inspiring Interiors: Living Room: Modern Retro

Living Room

Inspiring Interiors: Living Room: Modern Retro

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

The black leather and dark rosewood of mid-century furniture, coupled with chrome lighting, lends itself to a masculine decor. Soften this with warm wooden floorboards and soft cream walls. The Jens Risom lounge chair at Knoll and similar metal cloche light shades are available from Baileys Home & Garden.

Photo by Red/Polly Wreford/Sarah Kaye

Inspiring Interiors: Living Room: Modern Retro

Living Room

Inspiring Interiors: Living Room: Modern Retro

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

An original Georgian breakfast table, teamed with vintage chairs and brushed concrete floors, creates an eclectic mix of styles for this reading corner-cum-coffee table. Harmonise the look by keeping to the same palette of colours across the styles, in this case blues and browns. Moissonier sells similar circular tables with an aged finish and try Luna for vintage chairs.

Photo by Red/Lisa Cohen

Living Room: Modern Retro: Room Divider

Living Room

Living Room: Modern Retro: Room Divider

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

This mid-century modern cabinet is used to great effect as a room divider. For similar original and restored cabinets try The DanishHomestore, and for classic anglepoise lamps try Pedlars.

Photo by Credit: Narratives/ Jan Baldwin

Living Room: Modern Retro: Bright Colour Bookshelf

Living Room

Living Room: Modern Retro: Bright Colour Bookshelf

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

Painting the back of this built-in bookshelf a bold hue lightens up the room and creates a feature of an otherwise unnoticeable space. Try Sober Natur’s ‘Grekland’ at Paint & Paper for a similar look. For a recommended local tradesman to make built-in shelving, search on Rated People.

Photo by Credit: Narratives/ A. Mezza & E. Escalante

Living Room: Modern Retro: Striking Silhouettes

Living Room

Living Room: Modern Retro: Striking Silhouettes

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

Dark furniture can create striking silhouettes in light rooms. The key is to look for pieces with sharp, slender lines to avoid them looking too imposing. This traditional bench from Niki Jones, £525, is given a modern makeover with layers of glossy lacquer.

Photo by Credit: RED/Polly Wreford/ Sarah Kaye

Living Room: Modern Retro: Sheepskin Rug and Stained Floorboards

Living Room

Living Room: Modern Retro: Sheepskin Rug and Stained Floorboards

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

Sheepskin rugs give an instant retro feel to a room and look most striking on contrasting dark stained floorboards. Team with a 1960s optical art print for a cool retro look. Ikea sells sheepskin rugs for £12.99, and World Gallery is a good source of op-art prints.

Photo by Credit: Andreas Von Einsiedel

Living Room: Modern Retro: Giant Anglepoise Lamp

Living Room

Living Room: Modern Retro: Giant Anglepoise Lamp

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

This giant anglepoise lamp is a modern take on the design classic from the Thirties. Choosing a bright pop-art red for the lamp and the coffee table brings rock 'n’ roll glamour to this cosy country cottage. The 'Giant 1127' anglepoise lamp, £2,199, is available from Made in Design. The gold Moroccan-style poufs, £119, are available from Not on the High Street .

Photo by Credit: IPC Syndication/ Livingetc/ Paul Massey

Living Room Modern Retro: Collectors Items

Living Room

Living Room Modern Retro: Collectors Items

By Anna BerrillPosted on August 22, 2013

It takes patience to source a beautiful collection of original mid-century furniture, but some key retro designs are still available or have been re-issued. Cow hides, from £200, can be bought at London Cows. The 'Topan Pendant' light by Verner Panton, £159, is from Heal's. For retro furniture, Planet Bazaar is a great source for originals and Vita Interiors specialises in beautifully made reproductions.

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